


Together We Will Live Forever

by Regal_Fish



Category: Homestuck
Genre: (Possible) Smut, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Christian Character, Christianity, Drama, Dreams, F/M, Fluff, Humanstuck, London, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prophetic Dreams, Victorian Attitudes, Victorianstuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-13 22:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7988980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regal_Fish/pseuds/Regal_Fish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a modest daughter to a tailor, and by modest I mean boring. Boring home, boring family and boring job. The city of London for a middle class family is not what you crave, what your very soul needs. Perhaps it is time you follow your dreams...</p>
<p>A tale of romance, drama, action, mystery, machinery and the beginning of it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Steampunk AU for Homestuck! It gets weirder before it gets sweeter, I promise. Just stick with me here.

If someone were to tell me that dreams are not dangerous, I would call them a liar. How I came to be here, clutching blueprints for a machine I never thought I would ever be able to build while hiding behind barrels of fish, is a long story. One with many questions, some likely never to be answered but that doesn’t matter; what does matter is how this all began. It all started with a dream... 

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Watching the smoke puff out of the giant factories of London is quite the bore, but my life has always been rather boring. I'm not a young noble girl, being parented by nannies; Nor am I a dirt poor beggar who lives among the pests. I am a tailor's daughter, I spend my time sewing and pricking my shaking (s/c) fingers. Sighing, I look behind me to see my room in all its insignificant glory. The room itself is medium sized, and although the sanguine wallpaper is still placed nicely on the wall, there are some stains. My twin sized bed is tucked in the far left hand corner of the room, draped over it is a quilt my mother sewed for me and I still adore it; even if the deep chocolate color had faded slightly. The hardwood floor is scratched, but not severely; the maroon rug covers the worst of it. My wardrobe stands next to my bed, however, my workbench along with a chest of cloth, is pressed against the opposite wall. My bookshelf stands alone near the door, with a completely normal amount of books inside. 

Normal. A word I use quite often to describe my life, though I wish I didn't. Why couldn't I be an inventor, or a world renowned explorer like that man I heard the noble women gossiping about the other day; Jake English, I believe that was his name. Discouraged and downtrodden, I gaze over to the clock on my wardrobe; 7:00am. Ever since I began working I get up rather early, even if I don't have to do much of anything, like today. Trudging away from the window, I plop myself down upon my bed and stare at the world map I placed on the wall next to my bed as a child. So many days have been wasted dreaming of a life I can never have. 

_A dense forest flashes before my eyes, twisting paths of foliage and fauna engulf me as I am dragged by a mysterious force. Stopping abruptly in front of a cave, I begin to float above the earth and stare down at the land below me. Higher and higher I go, until I see the continent I was previously on; Africa. Suddenly, I am dropped and I struggle to screech whilst I close my eyes, preparing for impact which never came. Opening my eyes, I squint to see in the dim room and spot a man slouched over a workbench and hear mechanical whirling. The smell of copper, steam and oil smack me in the face as I catch a glimpse of an apron with the name "Horuss Zahhak" sewed on it directly beside me. That same odd force yanks me up and through the door to reveal the address of the apparent workshop before I faint._

Gasping, my eyes fling open and I shoot up from workbench and frantically look around in confusion. Wait, I didn't fall asleep on my workbench. Adjusting my eyes to the light, I peer down to see the world map I had ripped off the wall with a single ink dot drawn onto central Africa. Next to my map, I see a sketch of an unusual machine; it appeared to be a box with a funnel on top, a lever on the side and a extremely odd typewriter attached to it. My heart races as I read the address I had written down in my sleep, along with coordinates and that name. Horuss Zahhak. Something golden shimmers in my eyes and I cover them with my hand; I then stand up speedily, removing my hand, I freeze. 

A gold embroidered pistol, rifle, two daggers and journal lay on my rug along with a proper adventurer outfit; A puffy grey shirt, metallic under-bust corset, gloves, tight leather pants, boots and multiple holsters. I feel dizzy, faint even, as I step back slowly. I nearly scream when my mother calls my name and I hear her heeled boots stomp upstairs. In a frenzy, I scoop everything off the floor and shove them inelegantly in my wardrobe. Dashing over to the other side of the room, I push the papers and my map in the chest before hopping into my bed. As if on cue, my mother strides in holding a basket covered in a white cloth. Turning to me, she flashes me a quick smile, 

"Good morning, (Y/n). How did you sleep?" She inquires. Trying to calm my breath, I shrug and reply, 

"I slept alright. How about you?" I sit up and steal a glance at the clock, seeing that its only 8:00am. My mom frowns, her brows furrowed and asks, 

"Are you alright, dear? You seem dazed..." Quickly, I nod and she gives me a skeptical look but doesn't push the subject, "Well, alright then. I need a favor from you. Will you be a dear and take these pastries to the Captors? They helped out around the house the other day, I'd rather settle my debts." I get out of bed, my bare feet meeting the hard floor as I scurry over to my mom with a rather forced grin, 

"Of course, mother." I reply. Her hand stops me from taking the basket and I give her a rather confused look; she shakes her head and tuts. 

"You aren't leaving in your nightwear! Put on a proper dress." I then notice I'm only wearing a nightgown; I would've likely been mistaken for a whore if I left like this. Thankfully, my mum leaves so I can get dressed; I can't let her see my new clothes and weapons, right? Right. Opening my wardrobe, I properly place my secret items in the back, and grab an ebony dress and cream colored apron. After struggling to get into the dress, I tie the apron snugly along my waist and smooth it out. I see my mum left the basket on my workbench, so I grab the woven handle with slightly shaking hands. This is all too much, perhaps I'll speak to Sollux about it since we are such good friends; our parents have recommended that we become betrothed, but that obviously made us uncomfortable. Gathering my thoughts, I briskly go downstairs and out the door while thinking of that name and address. Maybe those dreams weren't wasted after all.


	2. Walk  The Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any adventurer needs advice...

Stepping down to the streets of London, I inhale the polluted air and survey the surrounding area. The Captor family lives a block away, working as photographers since the poor and middle class can rarely afford portraits to be hand painted for them. However, in order to get there, I must traverse the bustling streets filled with carriages, merchants and the poor. Speedily, I traipse up the sidewalk, whilst avoiding any inebriated man coming out of the local pub; morning or not, the toxicity of sin finds a way. I give the young prostitutes a quick once-over as they offer their flesh in the alleyways, where only the vile pests of humanity squander, wasting away. Grimacing at the ailing youth living there, I pick up my pace, lest I get pulled into a rather unpleasant interaction. My own heel boots faintly tap the cobblestone, though the noise is drowned by the ruckus of the city. Eagerly, I turn to see the youngest Captor hanging a monochrome picture in the recently cleaned window of their store. 

"Sollux!", I call out and, with a surprised face, he pivots to see me. Simpering at me, he waves me over and I briskly saunter towards him. Greeting each other, we hug and his grin widens when he spots the basket and smells the sweet aroma of my mother's cooking, 

"Did your mum bake uth thomething? If tho, I'll be taking that...", he reaches for the basket, but I keep it out of his greedy and pastry loving hands. Smirking, I swat his flash powder covered hand and shake my head, 

"This is for the Captor family, Sollux. Not the youngest one with a major sweet tooth, you glutton." Rolling his heterochromatic eyes, he ushers me inside the family business and home. I grin when I see Mituna Junior taking the tiny vials of flash powder out of a package, since I rarely see him in the front of the store due to his mental issues. Unlike many other people, I was relieved to know that Mituna hadn't been dropped off at an orphanage somewhere like most disabled children. His button-like nose twitches as the fragrance of baked goods wafts through the business; his eyes, which match the rest of his family's, perk up and that goofy smile spreads across his pale face. I can barely see his eyes, though, since he wears goggles unlike his brother who wears glasses. Excitedly, he marches over to me and I must fight off another Captor; he then whines, 

"Come on, (f/n)! I won't eat 'em all! Promithe!" I scoff at that and saunter over to the stairs, where Mituna Senior, or Psiionic as the other adults called him, would no doubt be. "Yes you would, 'Tuna! I know you all too well!" I tell him, with a slight chuckle and he pouts, blowing his curly blond hair out of his face. Following the enticing aroma, the blonde brood picks up the trail behind me. Stepping into the upstairs room, I scan the different painted backgrounds hanging on the walls and see Mituna Senior sweeping the floor. Taking a step forward, he turns his attention to me and gives me his signature smirk; you rarely see him genuinely smile. 

"Hello, (f/n), what d'ya have there?" He inquires, propping the rickety broom on a wall. I peel off the white cloth, revealing my mother's baked good which makes him snatch the basket from my hands and ruffle my hair, 

"Thank you and tell your mother we appreciate it. Wath there thomething elthe you needed?" I nod quickly, glancing at Sollux then to his father, 

"Yes, sir. May I speak to Sollux? Privately, if you don't mind?" I tentatively ask, seeing the eldest man's lips curl into a lewd smirk, 

"You know people don’t view thex before marriage highly, (f/n)…" he teases, making Sollux and I snarl and blush pink. Sollux pinches the bridge of his nose and groans, 

"Dad, pleathe thtop...we'll be in my bedchamber, with the door OPEN." Stomping downstairs, I accompany him which leaves two sniggering Mitunas to devour the baked goods. Both of us travel across the store and up another flight of stairs, finding the Captors' bedchambers. Sollux escorts me inside his chambers, leaving the door open as he previously said, and we both take a seat in two chairs next to a window. Suddenly, my mind returns to the dream, my palms begin to sweat and I hesitate. What if he thinks I'm simply mad? Likely sensing my nervousness, Sollux frowns and places his hand on my own, 

"Are you okay...? You theem confuthed." He questions, obviously concerned for my well-being. I don't usually ask to speak to him privately, there is never a need. With a shaky breath, I stare outside the opened window and watch the airships overhead; I then ask him, 

"Have you ever felt like...like you meant for more than a photographer's life?" Giving me a perplexed look, he seems deep in thought for a couple seconds then answers, 

"Well...yeth, but what brought thith on? (f/n), talk to me." My foot taps compulsively against the wooden floors, attempting to find the correct words, lest I seem like a loony. 

"What if I told you...I had a dream?" 

"A dream?" He repeats me, skeptical. 

"Yes, a dream", I confirm, "a dream that seemed to be a message from the heavens, telling me to seek something out. Something...dangerous. Something unknown and yet, fascinating." His dirty blond eyebrows furrow together, almost as if he was offended by the very idea of my prophetic dream, 

"Maybe you should thee my friend'th dad, he'th known as The Thufferer. He'th a man of God, but hith thon blathphemes with every other word." He suggests, however, it is obvious that he suspicious of the whole thing. I turn my gaze downward, considering his suggestion. Perhaps I should receive a Father's judgment on the situation, or receive his blessing. Confident in my decision, I give Sollux my attention again and simper at him, 

"Well, which church does he belong to?" Standing, Sollux then leans out the window and points down the street; my eyes follow his hand as he gives me direction, 

"Head down that street, take a right then you'll see a fairly large church at the end of the road." With a grin, I press my lips against his nearly pearly white cheek which turn slightly pink due to either my gloss or him blushing, 

"Thank you, Sollux! I really appreciate it..." I gratuitously thank him, before bowing my head and waving before leaving. I find myself back on the streets, with a new goal in mind as I traverse the crowded sidewalks, deep in thought. If this father grants me the guidance and blessing I seek, how exactly will this play out? I should find that Horuss fellow first, since he is closer than Central Africa and he owns his own workshop; he might know about this machine. My optimistic thoughts turn sour, as I think of leaving my family behind and possibly dying; I will ask this Sufferer about that as well. 

Turning right, as Sollux said, I do find a modest church which seemed to house a great many poor families. Some men and women were obviously ill with withdrawal symptoms, so I assume this church also allows people to get over their addictions. Inhaling deeply, I step inside briskly and scan the many pews filled with poverty stricken men, women and children praying to a God they felt like abandoned them. Out of habit, I keep a tight hand on my coin purse and begin searching for a person that seemed to be part of the church. As I scour the building, I catch a glimpse of two young men with silver hair in a room all alone, out of the corner of my eye. Stopping in front of the door frame, I knock ever so softly on the aged wood; they turn and notice me. 

They looked nearly identical, with their maroon eyes, fair skin and platinum hair. However, the younger boy had more angular features and had dark circles hanging below his eyes; he also wore darker clothes than the older male, who was wearing bright, candy apple red robes. Speaking of the older male, he shuts the Bible they were both apparently studying and makes a rather displeased, yet smug face. 

"It is incredibly rude to simply intrude on my brother and I's affairs, especially when we were engaged in particularly holy studies. If I may ask, what are your reasons for intruding so impolitely?" Becoming flustered, I bow my head slightly and begin to apologize profusely, 

"My apologies, ser! I was simply wanting to inquire as to The Sufferer's whereabouts..." The little brother, I presume, jumps up at the opportunity to leave his Godly studies and clamps his hand on his sibling's mouth, 

"I'll take her to father, you damn blabbermouth!" He stomps over to me, seizing my hand and yanking me out of the barely lit room as his sibling sputters nonsense about how offended he was. Finally grasping the situation, I pick up speed in order to keep pace properly; only briefly seeing my surroundings before they practically flew pass me. Watching the permanently enraged face the person dragging me has, I assume that this is Sollux's blasphemous friend; he catches me watching him, and huffs in annoyance. I decide it is best to not speak to him, although I am rather curious about his eyes and hair. 

Soon, we find ourselves in a room filled with beds with ill children placed in them; some seem to have syphyllis, even infants are infected. The stench punches me in the gut, making me struggle not to vomit or at least cover my mouth. I wouldn't want to come off as a complete horse's ass, these children cannot help the wretched stink. Hunched over a bed, I spot a man feeding an ailing child come home remedy or peculiar soup; I stay where I am and don’t interrupt. The man nods courteously at the ill Welp and stands, showing off his tattered ebony tunic and vermillion pants. He faces me, revealing a face scarily similar to the boy next to me. He gestures to me, while facing his son, 

"And who is this, Karkat?" He inquires, in a honey-like voice; so soft and so very low. Karkat releases me and shrugs inelegantly, snarling even, 

"I don't fucking know. She wanted to talk to you, so I brought her to you. Now I have to avoid Kankri..." Turning on his heel, he trudges out of the room with an exasperated groan which leaves me and his father to speak. I lower my head and open my mouth but I feel a hand placed upon my head, making me look up to see The Sufferer smiling down at me, 

"Something troubles you, child. Let us move out of this room." Nodding curtly, we move to the hallway and I resume my position, out of respect, before he lifts my head so I can stare into his scarlet depths, "Do not bow your head, speak to me proudly and honestly." Again, I nod wordlessly and clear my throat before taking a deep breath, 

"I had a dream, Father. About a...well, about a place. And a man. I feel like I must follow this dream, but it may be very dangerous. I require guidance and blessings." With a chuckle, he places his hand upon my head again and stares into my soul, speaking to the core of my being, 

"Dear, when we pray for an adventure, a fantastical journey, God does not give us the destination; He gives us the opportunity to be adventurous. Whether you walk the path, or turn around and head back home, is your decision." 

"I will walk the path, Father..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horuss will be in the next chapter but homework is drowning me...


End file.
